‘Ensure unhindered supply of essentials’
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Mar 26: Cabinet Secretary, Rajiv Gauba today held video conference with Chief Secretaries of all States/Union Territories to review supply chain management and transportation of essential commodities and services in and out of the State/UTs during the lockdown period as announced by the Prime Minister to deal with the Coronavirus outbreak. The meeting was also attended by Home Secretary, Ajay Kumar Bhalla, Secretary Health, Preeti Sudan and other Secretaries of concerned Ministries.
Chief Secretary, BVR Subrahmanyam, Director General of Police, Dilbag Singh, Financial Commissioner, Health, Atal Dulloo, Principal Secretary, Home, Shaleen Kabra, Principal Secretary, Planning, Rohit Kansal, Commissioner Secretary, Industries & Commerce, Manoj Dwivedi, IGP Jammu, Mukesh Singh, Secretary, FCS&CA, Simrandeep Singh, Mission Director NHM, Bhupinder Kumar, Deputy Commissioner Jammu, Sushma Chauhan and Commissioner JMC, Avny Lavasa participated in the video conference.
Cabinet Secretary while interacting with Chief Secretaries of the States/UTs sought details from them with regard to the implementation of lockdown and arrangements put in place for maintenance of supply chain and transportation of essential goods/services as already notified by the Government of India.
He said it is imperative to successfully implement the notified lockdown/restrictions, but at the same it is necessary to ensure the unhindered transportation/supply of essential services, which have been exempted under the various prohibitory orders.
The Cabinet Secretary commended the States/UTs for implementing the lockdown restrictions seriously. He asked them to further sustain the restrictions in an effective manner for the period as the partial implementation will not solve the problem.
While referring the issue of trucks being stranded in many States, the Cabinet Secretary said that the District Magistrates be asked to ensure that the trucks carrying essential goods/medicines/perishable items should not be stopped and be allowed to reach their destinations.
Considering the rise in the confirmed coronavirus cases in the country, the Cabinet Secretary asked all States/UTs to upgrade their hospitals/infrastructure with the resources available with them. He emphasized that at least, one Government hospital should be fully equipped with doctors, staff and equipments to tackle Covid-19 and that hospital should be a dedicated health facility exclusively for treating patients having infected with the virus.
Later, Chief Secretary reviewed stock position of essential supplies available in the Union Territory and asked Secretary FCS&CA to ensure that supply is not affected anywhere because of the restrictions imposed.
Commissioner Secretary, Industries & Commerce and Secretary FCS&CA were directed to ensure that only industrial units involved in manufacturing of pharmaceuticals/essential items are allowed to carry out their operations and permission to such units be given accordingly.
Chief Secretary directed Commissioner JMC to ensure that RTC buses, hospitals and other important public places are fumigated regularly to avoid the transmission of virus.
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